Abdulrahman al-Awlaki and his sister were children of the US-born Yemeni preacher Anwar al-Awlaki, whom the U assassinated with a drone in 2011.

Thanks to a much contested, recently released but significantly redacted Justice Department white paper providing the basis for the extrajudicial killing of American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, we finally know the president in post-constitutional America is officially judge, jury and executioner.

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Friday filed by the families of three American citizens killed in drone strikes in Yemen, saying senior officials could not be held responsible for financial damages incurred in an act of war.

Why did President Obama order the death of Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, the 16-year-old American son of radical American imam Anwar al-Awlaki? Investigative reporter and VICE correspondent Greg Palast thinks he knows.

The killing of U.S. born, al-Qaida-affiliated cleric Anwar al-Awlaki set a dangerous precedent here in America.

In an hourlong special on "Democracy Now!" on Tuesday, author and Nation magazine war correspondent Jeremy Scahill tells the story of the radicalization of Islamic cleric and American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki and the U.S. government's subsequent pursuit and assassination of him and his son.

Last week there was a perfect drone storm of a story, only a year or so late. The most striking thing is that it should have set everyone’s teeth on edge, yet next to nobody even noticed.

According to Attorney General Eric Holder, it is within the government's rights to kill American citizens implicated in anti-U.S. terrorist plots hatched abroad. Along with general human rights concerns, this raises some issues vis-à-vis the Constitution and the Fifth Amendment.

American-born al-Qaida leader Anwar al-Awlaki has apparently survived a U.S. military drone attack in Yemen after he traded vehicles with two supporters who were killed at the scene. (more)